YEARNING Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

yearning 1 of 3

noun

ˈyər-niŋ

Definition of yearning

as in longing

a strong wish for something had a sudden yearning for something sweet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yearning

2 of 3

adjective

as in crying

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Dissimilar Words

yearning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of yearn

as in pining

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of yearning

Noun

Every window of every building the bus crawled past opened a severe yearning in me, as though my life here had become abstract or theoretical. — Hisham Matar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026 And what’s dramatic about this is that having grown up on a remote mountain farm in the 1940s, away from almost any remnant of civilization, Mikey has zero context for his erotic yearnings. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 If your yearning for autumn kicks off early, here are three September festivals near Charlotte. — Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026 This feels like a good place to put our energy and our artistry and our yearning to set the world in order. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yearning

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yearning

Noun

The Incredible Hulk, the Thing, He-Man, Superman—these cartoon heroes must fulfill some kind of longing.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of longing

Adjective

The composition of Congress will help determine the next president’s ability to advance legislation and address the concerns voters have identified as most pressing.

— Katie Angell Britannica Editors Oct. 2, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Oct. 2026
Polling continues to show that housing affordability ranks among the most pressing concerns for Americans nationwide.

— Matt Galka, Baltimore Sun, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of pressing

Noun

Alfonso recalled their discussions about how setting and movement could express the desire to survive.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
The desire for these transformative products was never innate, and LACMA’s exhibition zeroes in on that idea from the start.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of desire

Adjective

Del Toro was insistent that the texture and grain of the original movie, which was shot on film, remain.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders shocked the Democratic establishment by running a close race against Hillary Clinton for the Party’s Presidential nomination, thanks to his insistent focus on income and wealth inequality.

— Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of insistent

Noun

But resist the urge to throw every brightening ingredient at the problem.

— Glamour, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026
In their eloquence and their ways of avoiding easy comfort, the poems also deal with the hushed experience of surviving someone else’s death and fulfill the urge to say something not only real and true but formal and exact, as though for a ceremony.

— Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of urge

Adjective

Her songs feel urgent and unfiltered; Rodrigo sings about the negative sides of herself, too, whether that’s feelings of jealousy or obsession.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Torres recommends establishing a coverage plan ahead of cold and flu season, so employees know who will take their shift or handle urgent work.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of urgent

Cite this Entry

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“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yearning. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of yearning

noun

adjective

verb

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